End & Beginning of A Year

New Years Eve and I decided to make a final visit to Gosforth as I hadn't been for a while.  It was like going to a new site, the reeds round the boardwalks have been completely flattened and you can see for "miles" as they say.   Got the Pyle Hide and within a few minutes 2 Kingfishers were chasing each other round the lake, perching alternately right outside the hide.

A Fox came scampering across the ice but before I could get Mr Nikon working it darted into the reeds but if you strain your eyes you can just see it darting away.

A good wander round produced a couple of Treecreeper, Nuthatch, several Long Tailed Tits but unfortunately, just like the other ponds and lakes, nothing to see.  Anyway a quiet night at home with Carole for the New Year.  Set off at 9 to Big Waters and the first birds I encountered were a couple of lush Bullfinches and on arrival in the Feeding Station a Brambling put in an appearance.

Alan J arrived (so the Brambling went) and put the food out and immediately the place was full of Pheasants

Once again lots of Siskin high in the trees but only a couple of them dropped in for a bit.   With the decimation of the foliage you can now see into the wood just a bit which gave us the chance to watch a couple of Water Rail wandering round.  There also seemed to be an influx of female Blackbirds.

I waited for 9 months last year to see 2 birds and unbelievably saw 2 Goldcrests and a Redpoll on the first of the year.  The Redpoll being a new Big Waters tick.  The place was overrun with Chaffinches today, this particular one should have rung NHS Direct to get someone to fix his neck.

The end of the day saw me achieving 36 Species for the start of my first full year of proper counting and starting 4 Lists, Overall, County, Big Waters and Garden